Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Merida, Mexico

For one person, living costs are similar in Phuket and in Merida: $1,278 and $1,307 a month, rent and utilities included.

62

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index
63

Cost of Living Index in Merida
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Merida Living Index

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Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,278

/mo nomad

Merida

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,307

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Phuket and in Merida

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Phuket and in Merida actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,278 per month in Phuket vs $1,307 in Merida, rent included.

Phuket $1,278
Merida $1,307

A couple spends around $2,216 per month in Phuket vs $2,126 in Merida, rent included.

Phuket $2,216
Merida $2,126

A family of three spends $3,154 per month in Phuket vs $2,946 in Merida, rent included.

Phuket $3,154
Merida $2,946

Phuket and Merida have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Phuket and Merida are more affordable than the global median – Phuket 6% lower, Merida 4% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.47 ฿151

$13.28 MX$250

-66.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.41 ฿1,094

$54.9 MX$1,031

-40.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 ฿297

$8.13 MX$153

8.36%

Cappuccino

$2.83 ฿95.4

$3.90 MX$73.4

-27.44%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 ฿29.42

$1.06 MX$19.94

-17.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.66

$1.15 MX$21.66

-57.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 ฿86.3

$2.89 MX$54.3

-11.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ฿124

$3.64 MX$68.5

1.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 ฿56.0

$1.59 MX$29.92

4.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 ฿49.32

$2.57 MX$48.38

-43.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$1.69 MX$31.72

-11.24%

Eggs

$2.09 ฿70.5

$1.84 MX$34.58

13.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.07 ฿643

$9.99 MX$188

90.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 ฿111

$7.49 MX$141

-55.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.91 ฿368

$12.02 MX$226

-9.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 ฿98.9

$2.67 MX$50.1

9.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ฿57.0

$1.36 MX$25.52

24.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$2.14 MX$40.23

5.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿70.1

$1.97 MX$36.96

5.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ฿51.0

$2.17 MX$40.83

-30.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ฿46.54

$1.75 MX$32.96

-21.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ฿35.97

$1.46 MX$27.46

-26.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.51

$1.15 MX$21.57

-54.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 ฿142

$4.28 MX$80.5

-1.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.79 ฿634

$10.73 MX$202

75.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 ฿61.5

$1.47 MX$27.66

23.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ฿95.9

$2.45 MX$45.98

15.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 ฿49.00

$0.62 MX$11.69

133.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 ฿1,912

$32.93 MX$619

72.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿102

$2.73 MX$51.2

10.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.34

$3.70 MX$69.6

-72.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 ฿125

$8.79 MX$165

-58.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 ฿49.78

$1.49 MX$27.97

-1.34%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$26.8K ฿903.7K

$22.5K MX$423.6K

18.81%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$26.7K ฿900.8K

$22.9K MX$430.9K

16.40%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$96.4 ฿3,252

$112 MX$2,110

-14.16%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$11.26 ฿380

$21.28 MX$400

-47.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.85 ฿569

$34.17 MX$642

-50.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 ฿2,269

$28.29 MX$532

137.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.73 ฿362

$11.51 MX$216

-6.78%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ฿253

$6.41 MX$121

17.00%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$476 ฿16.1K

$259 MX$4,874

83.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K ฿380.1K

$3,584 MX$67.4K

214.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 ฿2,105

$54.3 MX$1,020

14.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.41 ฿959

$52.1 MX$978

-45.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 ฿3,182

$99.3 MX$1,866

-5.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 ฿2,896

$84.0 MX$1,579

2.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 ฿24.2K

$611 MX$11.5K

17.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 ฿16.6K

$441 MX$8,282

11.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 ฿65.0K

$1,220 MX$22.9K

58.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,431 ฿48.3K

$958 MX$18.0K

49.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,175 ฿140.9K

$2,244 MX$42.2K

86.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 ฿102.8K

$1,205 MX$22.6K

152.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$502 ฿17.0K

$579 MX$10.9K

-13.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

11.64

-52.15%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Phuket: October 26, 2026

Last update for Merida: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Phuket

$491 38.4%

Merida

$441 33.7% 10.2% $50

Groceries & Markets

Phuket

$266 20.8%

Merida

$263 20.1% 1.4% $3.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Phuket

$124 9.7%

Merida

$168 12.8% 34.7% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Merida

$130 10% 6.9% $8.4

Eating Out

Phuket

$122 9.5%

Merida

$208 15.9% 71% $86

Sport & Entertainment

Phuket

$82 6.4%

Merida

$41 3.2% 50% $41

Getting Around

Phuket

$71 5.5%

Merida

$57 4.3% 19.7% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $716 in Phuket versus $611 in Merida. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 15% higher in Merida. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket versus $55 in Merida. Groceries tell a different story – $266 in Phuket vs $263 in Merida – so Merida wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Phuket

🇲🇽 Merida

🕒 Local time

16:56 4:56 PM

03:56 3:56 AM

13 h behind Phuket

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,308

975,000

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 33.75 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.66 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.97 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Phuket Merida 16,690 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Phuket
Merida

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Phuket vs Merida: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,917 per month in Phuket and $1,961 in Merida. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Merida, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $611 there versus $716 in Phuket.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Phuket and $55 in Merida. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Kindergarten costs $476 per month in Phuket and $259 in Merida. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,278 in Phuket and $1,307 in Merida, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Phuket costs $1,278 versus $1,307 in Merida. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Phuket. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Merida makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.